1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interposer. The present invention also relates to a joint terminal usable in an interposer.
2. Description of the Related Art
An interposer has been known as a relaying component adapted to be interposed between two electronic circuit components, such as a circuit board (a printed wiring board (PWB), a printed circuit board (PCB), etc.) and an IC package, and to fulfill a function such as converting the arrangement or number of connection terminals of the electronic circuit components, absorbing the difference in thermal deformation of the electronic circuit components, etc. Conventionally, the interposer includes a substrate (e.g., a circuit board or a board with no circuitry) and a desired number of joint terminals fixed to the substrate.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-124404 (JP2003-124404A) describes an electrical contact capable of being used in an interposer. The electrical contact described in JP2003-124404A is formed to be fixed on the surface of a printed circuit board by “metal forming, masking, etching, and soldering technique”, which configures an interposer. JP2003-124404A also describes that the interposer is “used for detachably attaching an electronic device, such as a multichip module (MCM), on the circuit board”.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2009-2865 (JP2009-2865A) describes a probe card provided in an IC device tester, which includes a first board provided with a probe element, a second circuit board provided with a wiring pattern, and an interposer interposed between the boards and electrically connecting the boards to each other. The interposer includes a plurality of elastic, electrically-conductive connecting elements and a carrier board carrying the connecting elements. The connecting elements are respectively connected at opposite ends thereof to pads formed on the first and second boards.
In a conventional interposer in which a plurality of joint terminals are fixed to a substrate, it is difficult to detach a desired one of joint terminals from the substrate or attach a new joint terminal to the substrate. Thus, when any one of the joint terminals is deformed or damaged, it is difficult to replace only such a damaged joint terminal with a new one, and as a result, it is necessary to replace the interposer as a whole even though it includes an undeformed or undamaged joint terminal.